Widely credited for introducing the public to the music of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor when he covered their songs on his 1968 album "The Circle Game," singer/songwriter Tom Rush has consistently put fresh new spins on what can be done under the folk banner. Never much for purism, in the first 10 years of his career alone, Rush straddled the 60's folk revival spearheaded by Dylan, the folk-rock movement that followed, and the so-called "singer/songwriter era," which Rolling Stone gave him credit for sparking. Unlike Dylan, however, Rush never experienced a backlash for incorporating electric instruments into his sound. Fans who might regard Rush as a relic of Boston's fabled Harvard Square coffeehouse scene will be pleasantly surprised by his dry wit and unwillingness to succumb to nostalgia.

Tom Rush plays Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m., at Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets cost $20-$25. For more information visit goldenlink.org.